Written Answers Nos. 118-132
118. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Education the number of former county managers and CEOs of local authorities who are currently working within her Department and any agency or body under the remit of her Department, including details for persons employed in any format such as on a contract or advisory basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36295/22]
View answerMy Department is not aware of any former county managers or CEOs of local authorities currently working in the Department. However, such information regarding the employment history of employees of the Department is not collated, or reported on, by my Department.
The requested information in respect of persons working in the Department’s aegis bodies is not held by my Department. Contact details for these bodies are set out in the attached document should the Deputy wish to contact them directly with this query.
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Contact E-Mail Addresses for State Bodies under the Remit of the Department of Education |
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Name of Body |
Dedicated Email address for the Members of the Oireachtas |
Designated Official Responsible for assisting Oireachtas Members |
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An Chomhairle um Oideachais Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta |
oireachtas@cogg.ie |
jacquelinenifhearghusa@cogg.ie |
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Educational Research Centre |
oireachtas.queries@erc.ie |
aidan.clerkin@erc.ie |
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National Centre for Guidance in Education |
oireachtas@ncge.ie |
Jennifer.mckenzie@ncge.ie |
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National Council for Curriculum and Assessment Note 1 |
oireactasqueries@ncca.ie |
Aine.ArmstrongFarrell@ncca.ie |
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State Examinations Commission |
Oireachtas@examinations.ie |
Paddy.Quinn@examinations.ie |
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The Teaching Council |
pqrep@teachingcouncil.ie |
pfox@teachingcouncil.ie |
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National Council for Special Education |
oireachtasqueries@ncse.ie |
patrick.martin@ncse.ie and cindyjane.oconnell@ncse.ie |
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Residential Institutions Statutory Fund – Caranua |
Michael.Fitzpatrick@caranua.ie |
Michael.Fitzpatrick@caranua.ie |
Note 1 - The spelling of the NCCA e-mail address to which Oireachtas queries may be addressed has been verified with the NCCA as being accurate
119. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education if she will review the application by a school (details supplied) for the Summer Works Programme given that the original approval for a boiler upgrade is now inadequate to cover the cost of the work and the school is seeking an increase in funding. [36314/22]
View answerI wish to confirm that the application for the school in question was reviewed and additional funding has been provided to enable the school authority to appoint a contractor and proceed with the approved works.
120. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Education when she received a notice from a school (details supplied) indicating that a board of management was yet to be established; if the notice was received; the reason given by the school for not establishing the board of management; if she has been advised on the nomination and designation for the chairperson of the school; if steps will be taken to ensure that a parents association will be established as soon as possible to ensure good governance in the school. [36318/22]
View answerIn accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the appointment of a board of management of a school is a matter for the relevant school patron.
Under the provisions of the Education Act 1998, a patron may appoint a person or persons to manage the school in circumstances where the appointment of a Board is not practicable.
In the case of the school referred to by the Deputy, the Patron has, in accordance with the provisions of section 14 (8) of the Education Act 1998 appointed co-managers to manage the school and is planning to put a Board of Management in place in the autumn.
The Education Act 1998 recognises the important role which parents play in the education system through their involvement in parents' associations. The Act also recognises the role which national parents' associations may play in offering guidance to local associations. The National Parents Council Primary (NPCp) was set up as the representative organisation for parents of children attending primary school and supports parents to develop associations in their schools and individual parents’ associations at school level may affiliate to the national council.
121. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education the reason that a request for school transport for a child (details supplied) was refused; and if she will reconsider same. [36338/22]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. The cost in 2021 was over €289m.
Under the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, children are eligible for transport where they are attending the nearest recognised school that is or can be resourced to meet their special educational needs.
The National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) acts in an advisory role to my Department on the suitability of placements for children with special educational needs
School Transport Section of my Department has not received an application for school transport for the child referred to by the Deputy.
The family should contact their school principal who will contact the school’s SENO about applying for school transport.
Further information in relation to school transport is available at: www.gov.ie/en/service/school-transport/
122. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update regarding the review of the school transport system; if she has considered the possibility within that review of the school transport system and when appropriate, excess capacity therein being used to accommodate children with disabilities who have moved on to adult services and for whom no transport arrangements are currently provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36365/22]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. The cost in 2021 was over €289m.
Under the terms of the School Transport Schemes, children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kms from and are attending their nearest national school. At post primary level, they are eligible where they reside not less than 4.8 kms from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre. Distance is determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, and rules have regard to ethos and language.
As the Deputy is aware, the Department commenced a review of the School Transport Scheme in February 2021. The review is being conducted with a view to examining the current scheme and how it currently operates, its broader effectiveness and sustainability and that it adequately supports the provision of services to students and their families.
The review encompasses the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs. The review of the Primary and Post-Primary School Transport Schemes will examine each element of the schemes and include eligibility criteria, trends, costs, cost drivers, and overall effectiveness in meeting the objectives of the schemes. The review will also examine the potential for integration of different strands of the scheme and a more co-ordinated approach with other Government Departments that also use transport services.
Wider considerations relating to operation of the scheme are now taking place in the next phase of the review which is currently underway. The Technical Working Group has undertaken extensive consultation over the last number of months; including running a public survey for parents/guardians and students who use the service and those who do not use the service but who would like to. These engagements have yielded extensive data for consideration. The Group has also consulted with a broad array of stakeholders including schools, special education interest groups, industry representatives and other Government Departments.
A number of meetings have been convened in recent weeks with both the Technical Working Group and the Steering Group with a view to finalising the second phase of the review. The Steering Group will continue to report to me on an interim basis as the review progresses.
123. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education the options available to students to receive their education who cannot obtain a place in a mainstream school in their catchment area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36464/22]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is aware of some local pressures and demand for additional school places in a number of school planning areas across the country.
However, it is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:
- Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the area
- School of choice – pupils can’t get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town/area
- Some towns/areas have single sex schools and while places are available in the school they are not available to all pupils
- External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area
My Department is working to establish the true extent of any capacity issues through ongoing discussions with the relevant school authorities. In that context, similar to the process adopted in advance of the current academic year, the Department is engaging with school patron bodies/school authorities to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming year(s) which may necessitate action including, where required, the provision of modular accommodation solutions.
This engagement with Patrons/school authorities is ongoing and is focused on ensuring that the start of the 2022/23 school year operates as smoothly as possible for all schools and their students.
I can also confirm that the Educational Welfare Service (EWS) of the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) is the legal body which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school placement for their child. The EWS can be contacted at 01-7718815.
124. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the number of whole-time equivalent IT security managers employed by her Department as of 1 January 2021 and 27 June 2022, in tabular form. [36475/22]
View answerMy Department takes the issue of cyber security very seriously. The Information Communications Technology Unit takes a whole-of-team approach to protect my Department's data and IT systems. Departmental staff are supported in this function by IT security vendors and third-party support companies.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) which is located within the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, is the primary cyber security authority in the State. The NCSC provides a range of cybersecurity services to operators of Critical National Infrastructure, Government Departments and Agencies.
My Department's cyber security protocols are supported by the work of the NCSC and the national computer security incident response team, CSIRT, which provides early warnings, alerts, announcements and dissemination of information about risk and incidents to my Department.
My Department has been advised by the NCSC not to disclose details of systems and processes which could in any way compromise the Department’s information security posture. In particular, it is not considered appropriate to disclose information on my Department's cyber activities and the resourcing of same for both security and operational reasons.
125. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost of providing 10,000 extra places on the school transport scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36489/22]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021.
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
The average cost of providing transport for a child to a primary or post-primary school is estimated at €1,000 per annum. The average cost to provide transport for a child who requires Special Educational Needs transport is estimated at €8,000 per annum, but can be higher depending on the child's individual requirements and specialised needs.
The estimated cost of providing 10,000 additional bus places for the 2022-2023 school year would be dependent on the breakdown of the numbers of children that require transport for the primary and post primary schemes and the Special Educational Needs transport scheme.
126. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost of purchasing one new school bus for the school transport scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36490/22]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021.
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
Bus Éireann have advised that in general, the estimated cost of purchasing a large diesel bus is between €250,000 and €300,000 and the estimated cost of purchasing an electrical vehicle is €450,000.
The above are indicative costs only and the actual cost would be dependent on capacity and vehicle design specification as well as other aspects which could also impact on final market price.
127. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education the measures that have been put in place for Junior Certificate students who test positive for Covid-19 during exams; if they may re-sit exams or receive a predictive result; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36506/22]
View answerThe Framework for Junior Cycle presents a dual approach to assessment that supports student learning over the three years of Junior Cycle and also measures achievement at the end of those three years. This dual approach reduces the focus on one externally assessed examination as a means of assessing students and increases the prominence given to formative assessment.
The three-year Junior Cycle programme is underpinned by the integration of assessment and reporting as a normal part of teaching and learning in classrooms. The Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement (JCPA) is a school-based award, which draws upon and reports on achievement across all elements of assessment including ongoing assessment, Classroom-Based Assessments and State Examination descriptors. The JCPA reports student learning and achievement across a range of areas of learning in Junior Cycle, including:
- SEC Final Examinations;
- Short Courses;
- Classroom-Based Assessments;
- Priority Learning Units (for Level 2 and Level 1 Learning Programmes);
- The area of Well-being;
- Other areas of learning.
In the case where a student was unable to sit a Junior Cycle examination this year, due to COVID-19 or any other reason, their examination result will not appear on the JCPA, but their other achievements, including Classroom-Based Assessments for that subject, will still be reported on in their JCPA.
It can be noted that, due to the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 Junior Cycle examinations as a result of COVID-19, no JCPAs were awarded to students who were in third year in those years. Instead, alternative arrangements were put in place and those students were awarded with a Junior Cycle Certificate of Completion as well as a school report on their learning and achievement at Junior Cycle.
128. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education the total funding allocated by her Department to schools, both primary and secondary, to fund the specific promotion of physical health, fitness and well-being for students for each of the years 2018 to date in 2022, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36516/22]
View answerThe funding allocated to my Department, as set down in the annual Estimates, is used to meet costs associated with the provision of educational services in our schools and various related functions and includes salaries of teaching and non-teaching school staff, development of school infrastructure, capitation funding, grant payments to Education and Training Boards and a range of programmes and initiatives. Funding specifically for the promotion of physical health, fitness and well-being for students is not identified separately within allocations, as is the case also for other areas of the curriculum.
I can assure the Deputy that these core curriculum areas are addressed across all school stages.
In regard to PE, this is one of seven curriculum areas within the Primary School Curriculum, while in Junior Cycle it is recognised as part of the Well-being area of learning. At Senior Cycle, PE is available through both the examinable subject, Leaving Certificate PE (LCPE), and the non-examinable subject, Senior Cycle PE. Across primary, Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle level the SPHE curriculum area aims to foster personal development, health, well-being and enable young people to make healthy decisions as appropriate to the various stages.
Provision of physical facilities for PE and sports forms part of the accommodation brief for all new school buildings or where a major building or refurbishment project is being delivered for an existing school. Furthermore, the Government is committed to a PE Hall build and modernisation programme, starting in the second half of the National Development Plan period. This will see an increasing focus on the upgrade and refurbishment of the existing school stock to ensure that students in all post-primary schools have access to appropriate facilities to support PE provision.
The Active School Flag initiative in primary schools and the new Active School Flag Post Primary currently being piloted also address the goal of achieving a physically educated and physically active school community.
I want to assure the Deputy that my Department is fully committed to ensuring that Well-being is at the core of the ethos of all schools in Ireland, through the implementation of the Well-being Policy Statement. This whole school and preventative approach has multiple components that include providing children and young people with opportunities to build core social and emotional skills and competencies, experience supportive relationships within the school setting and be part of a school environment and culture that feels both physically and psychologically safe, in which they feel a sense of belonging and connectedness, that their voice is heard, and they feel supported. Embedded in the whole-school approach is the recognition that members of the school community may have different needs at different times and that a continuum of support in relation to well-being should be made available.
Work is now ongoing to realise the vision set out in the Well-being Policy. Following an action research project involving 30 schools, the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) has developed Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to support schools as they engage in a well-being promotion process. The national rollout of CPD commenced in March 2022 and is available to all schools. A dedicated well-being portal has been developed on gov.ie making available all well-being supports and resources developed.
129. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if there is a pathway into the masters programme in primary teaching for graduates whose pass grade in some of the core subjects in the Leaving Certificate, although sufficient at the time their Leaving Certificate was taken, is no longer adequate for entry into primary teaching; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36519/22]
View answerMy Department specifies the minimum entry requirements in the core subjects: Irish, English and Mathematics for entry into primary Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes to ensure that primary teachers have the capacity to lead in these significant areas of student learning.
All candidates, including school leavers, mature students and university graduates must hold the required level of Leaving Certificate Irish, English or Mathematics or an approved equivalent for entry into primary ITE programmes.
In the case of an candidate who does not meet the minimum entry requirement in Irish, English or Mathematics, it is open to the candidate to repeat the Leaving Certificate Examination or pursue a course of study leading to the one of the alternative qualifications in the subject(s) concerned as outlined in the published Professional Master of Education (Primary Teaching) Entry Requirements and Procedures for 2022. Link: gov.ie - How to qualify as a primary teacher (www.gov.ie)
130. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education the reason that a school (details supplied) has been refused DEIS status; the way that other schools in the same area and the same building have successfully received DEIS status; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36552/22]
View answerIn March I was glad to be able to announce a major expansion of the DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools programme which means that, for the first time since 2017, the programme is being significantly expanded and eligible schools will now gain access to targeted supports to address educational disadvantage. This will add an additional €32million to the Department’s expenditure on the DEIS programme from 2023, bringing the 2023 allocation to a total of in the region of €180million. Schools were identified for inclusion in the programme through the refined DEIS identification model which is an objective, statistics based model. Schools were not required to apply for inclusion in the DEIS programme and the model has been applied fairly and equally to all schools.
My Department is committed to ensuring that all schools are treated equally and fairly in the manner in which they have been identified for inclusion in the DEIS programme. Schools that were not satisfied with the outcome following the application of the DEIS identification model to their school enrolment data were provided with the opportunity to have that outcome reviewed.
All appeals submitted have now been processed by my Department and schools have been notified of the outcome.
The DEIS appeals process was applied fairly across all appellants and the results are final. My Department will continue to support schools to deliver high quality, inclusive teaching and learning to students and young learners.
The details of the Appeals process is outlined in Circular 0019/2022 which can be found at this link: www.gov.ie/en/circular/7e7ca-deis-identification-2022-appeals-process-for-schools/
It is important to note that the extension of the DEIS programme to new schools is just one phase of work in my Department’s vision for an inclusive education system which supports all learners to achieve their potential. While the DEIS programme supports those schools with the highest levels of concentrated educational disadvantage, my Department recognises that there are students at risk of educational disadvantage in all schools. Conscious of this, and recognising the need to target resources to those schools that need them most, the next phase of work will explore the allocation of resources to schools to tackle educational disadvantage. Part of this programme of work will involve consultation with all relevant stakeholders and will consider information provided by schools in correspondence following the application of the refined DEIS identification model.
In addition to this, following the National Census 2022 held on the 3rd April last it is envisaged that an updated HP Deprivation Index will be generated by Pobal and will be available in Q3 of 2023. My Department will engage with Pobal in relation to this process. The updated HP Deprivation Index, when available, can be considered by my Department to inform future resource allocation to tackle educational disadvantage.
131. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education the avenue that is open to a school (details supplied) which has failed in an appeal over its DEIS status; if there is any other forum or appeal mechanism left open to this school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36553/22]
View answerIn March I was glad to be able to announce a major expansion of the DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools programme which means that, for the first time since 2017, the programme is being significantly expanded and eligible schools will now gain access to targeted supports to address educational disadvantage. This will add an additional €32million to the Department’s expenditure on the DEIS programme from 2023, bringing the 2023 allocation to a total of in the region of €180million. Schools were identified for inclusion in the programme through the refined DEIS identification model which is an objective, statistics based model. Schools were not required to apply for inclusion in the DEIS programme and the model has been applied fairly and equally to all schools.
My Department is committed to ensuring that all schools are treated equally and fairly in the manner in which they have been identified for inclusion in the DEIS programme. Schools that were not satisfied with the outcome following the application of the DEIS identification model to their school enrolment data were provided with the opportunity to have that outcome reviewed.
All appeals submitted have now been processed by my Department and schools have been notified of the outcome.
The DEIS appeals process was applied fairly across all appellants and the results are final. My Department will continue to support schools to deliver high quality, inclusive teaching and learning to students and young learners.
The details of the Appeals process is outlined in Circular 0019/2022 which can be found at this link: www.gov.ie/en/circular/7e7ca-deis-identification-2022-appeals-process-for-schools/
It is important to note that the extension of the DEIS programme to new schools is just one phase of work in my Department’s vision for an inclusive education system which supports all learners to achieve their potential. While the DEIS programme supports those schools with the highest levels of concentrated educational disadvantage, my Department recognises that there are students at risk of educational disadvantage in all schools. Conscious of this, and recognising the need to target resources to those schools that need them most, the next phase of work will explore the allocation of resources to schools to tackle educational disadvantage. Part of this programme of work will involve consultation with all relevant stakeholders and will consider information provided by schools in correspondence following the application of the refined DEIS identification model.
In addition to this, following the National Census 2022 held on the 3rd April last it is envisaged that an updated HP Deprivation Index will be generated by Pobal and will be available in Q3 of 2023. My Department will engage with Pobal in relation to this process. The updated HP Deprivation Index, when available, can be considered by my Department to inform future resource allocation to tackle educational disadvantage.
132. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education the number of primary and post-primary schools in counties Longford and Westmeath; and the number of pupils, teachers, SNAs, special education places and annual State funding by school in tabular form. [36623/22]
View answerPlease find attached requested information for primary and post-primary schools in Longford and Westmeath, including enrolments, teachers, SNAs and funding from the Department.
Please note data is for academic year 2020-2021 the last year we have final enrolment and teacher allocation data for. The data regarding SNAs and number of teachers in special schools is sourced from the NCSE and is published on the NCSE website; Statistics – National Council for Special Education (ncse.ie)
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Schools in Longford and Westmeath 2020-2021 |
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Longford |
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School Type |
Enrolments |
Teacher Allocation |
SNA NCSE |
Department Grants |
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Post-Primary |
5,335 |
336.21 |
35 |
2,822,264 |
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Special Schools |
29 |
10 |
15 |
4,291,652 |
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Primary |
4,052 |
389 |
88 |
4,788,729 |
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Totals |
9,416 |
735.21 |
138 |
11,902,645 |
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Westmeath |
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School Type |
Enrolments |
Teacher Allocation |
SNA NCSE |
Department Grants |
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Post-Primary |
8,334 |
673.34 |
58 |
6,168,122 |
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Special Schools |
189 |
22 |
90 |
796,173 |
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Primary |
11,301 |
744 |
185 |
12,394,578 |
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Totals |
19,824 |
1,439.34 |
333 |
19,358,873 |
